Battle of the fittest as Crossfit enthusiasts compete in Manila Throwdown 2014

WITH U2’s “It’s a Beautiful Day” blaring from the loudspeakers, the eight-man heat of Crossfit athletes began performing a set number of burpees before setting on a 400-meter foot race in 34 degree heat.

This was just one of the scenes at the University of Makati Track and Oval Field last Saturday during Day One of the Manila Throwdown 2014.

A throwdown, in Crossfit terms, is a fitness event to test one's overall fitness from strength, speed, power, and endurance.

Miguel Dy Buncio, owner of Crossfit MNL that organized the two-day event, said a total of 182 men and women from five countries and 30 Crossfit gyms all over Asia are taking part in the whole-day events.

Crossfit is a “sport of fitness” that combines elements of cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy, using a combination of fast-paced functional movements, Olympic lifts, and gymnastics. It was popularized by law enforcement and military personnel and has spread all over the world.

The first day of the regional “Crossfit Olympics” featured a sprint and a strongman challenge as part of the Workout of the Day (WOD).

The sprint challenge, sponsored by 2XU, included body-weight movements such as burpees and one-leg squats followed by a 400-meter sprint under the noonday sun.

After a brief break, participants were then subjected to the strongman challenge, where each athlete was given 10 minutes to accomplish a sled pull, two 18-feet high rope climbs, an 80-meter farmer carry and carry cement atlas balls.

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More than a thousand spectators attended the event to cheer and support their respective athletes.

On Day Two, Dy Buncio said the competitors would face a Crossfit workout, a snatch ladder and a final championship workout.

All participants will undergo the four workouts and the Top 8 per category will move to the championship round.

There are three categories - Big, Medium and Small. At the end of Day 2 three winners for males and females per category will be announced based on points scored per workout.

The second installment of the Warrior Fitness event has become bigger and taken a more international flavor due to the sport’s growing community.

Project manager and coach Xhi Tabalan said 500 candidates entered the preliminary round and submitted videos of their workouts. The top 40 men and 24 women qualified for the Manila Showdown.

Major sponsors at the event were Reebok, Samsung and Gatorade which had promotional booths in the venue and also provided prizes such as mobile devices, shoes and appareland Crossfit-related merchandise.